Electric advertising device.



No. 638,479. Patented Dec. 5, I899.

.1. scan.

ELECTRIC ADVERTISING DEVICE.

(Application filed. Mar. 10, 1899.)

(No Model.)

ihwirnn stares tribe,

JOSIAH SCOTT, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,479, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed March 10,1899. Serial No. 708,484. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH SCOTT, of To ledo, county of Lucas, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Advertising Devices; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention,v

which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention has reference to an electric advertising device and is adapted to be dis played in a showwindow or other public place.

The object of my invention is first to produce by lighting effects through the medium of electricity and the particular mechanical arrangement which I employ to produce these effects an exceedingly attractive spectacle which will arrest and hold the attention of pcdestrians.

A further object of myinvention is to provide a means whereby any idea desired to be conveyed to the public may be expressed in writing in the form of an illuminated sentence consisting of words, letters, and characters. WVith these objects in view I employ the parts and combination of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device, which I prefer to call a slate and which to produce the desired effect must be exhibited in a darkened showwindow, when the sentence written thereon will appear illuminated. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of my invention to disclose the arrangement of the parts thereof, also showing the electrical connections thereto. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line as m, Fig. 2.

1 is the frame of my slate, having secured thereto the back 2 to confine the light emitted by lamps 3 in the interior thereof. The frame 1 is chamfered at 4 to receive the face 5 of the slate. Face 5 is preferably constructed of a section of glass 6, upon which are secured by means of transparent cement glass strips '7, which are of width to allow a narrow space between them for the reception of metal strips 8. Metal strips 8 are of a size to fully occupy the space between the glass strips 7, thereby insuring a smooth working face.

9 is any suitable source of electric energy. 10 is a circuit leading therefrom to the lamps 3.

11 isone side of a circuit having a plurality of terminals 12, equivalent in number to the number of metal strips 8-, to which they are suitably connected. The other side of the circuit 11 leads to the pencil 13, which may be a section of carbon 14, commonly used for arc-lighting, surrounded by a casing 15. 16 is a suitable resistance interposed in the circuit 11. This resistance may be a wire coil, such as is employed in an ordinary rheostat, its use being to reduce the current in circuit 11 and to prevent a dead short circuit when the pencil 13 comes in contact with the metal strips 8. It is evident that circuit 10 and 11 are independent, the current flowing continuously over circuit 10 and permanently illuminating the interior of the slate, While the current only passes over circuit 11 when the penoil 13 is in contact with metal strips 8.

I have shown in the drawings and have also described incandescent lamps 3, connected to the circuit 10, leading from the source of electric energy 9, the purpose of which is a continuous illumination of the interior of the slate. I Wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to this specific construction, as I may employ any means wholly independent of the source of energy 9 to accomplish this. For this purpose it may be desirable to employ an ordinary oil-lamp or an arclamp having connections wholly independent from those leading to metal strips 8 and pencil 13.

In operation the slate is mounted upon an easel in a show-window or other conspicuous place and is suitably connected up to a source of electric energy. To produce the best effect, the window is totally darkened and the operator is dressed to represent the wellknown character of ll/Iephisto, although this is not essential to carry out my invention. The face 5 of the slate is then spread with a thickened paint, forming an opaque covering thereon.

In carrying outmy invention I employ black carbon paint, although I wish it distinctly understood that I may employ any paint suitable for the purpose, the essential characteristics thereof being opaquity and poor conductivity. The paint, although a conductor when in bulk, is practically a nonconductor when thinly spread upon the face of the slate. The operator then takes the pencil 13 and writes upon the face of the slate any idea he wishes to express, when the paint will be removed along the path traversed by the pencil and will appear as an illuminated sentence. In practice I attach a swab of asbestos or other suitable material contiguous to the point of the pencil to take up the paint. As the pencil is connected to one side of the circuit 11 and the metal strips 8 to the other side thereof, an electric arc will be formed at the points a a a, Fig. 1, the location of the strips in the figure being shown by dotted lines, the resistance 16 reducing the current sufliciently and preventing a short circuit. This arcing is produced intermittingly, and serves not only to attract attention, but to illuminate the operator and goods displayed in the window. On the slate may be written not only advertising matter, but such may be displayed alternately with other interestingsentences, such as election returns.

To remove thetransparent letters and characters, the face of the slate is repainted and is again ready for the operation of writing.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a novel advertising device of a great efficiency and at a minimum expense. To properly diffuse the light passing from the interior of the slate through the transparent characters thereon and to prevent a glaring effect, the lower side of the section 6 may be ground or frosted, but this is not absolutely essential.

What I claim is In an electric advertising device, a box or casing having a transparent top or face provided with an opaque and removable surface of pigment, a source of light within said box or casing, a plurality of metallic strips embedded in the transparent face connected to one side of an electric circuit, a pencil in connection with the other side of said circuit, a resistance interposed in said circuit, whereby the sentence traced by the pencil on said face will appear illuminated, and an arc Will be produced intermittingly, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSIAH SCOTT.

Witnesses:

CARL H. KELLER, H. S. WOODBURY. 

